Back

On the back of the NOOKcolor are the speaker grill and the microSD card slot (covered by the light-gray plastic cover on the bottom-right corner).

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Top

Along the top of the NOOKcolor is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Bottom

Along the bottom edge of the NOOKcolor is the Micro-B USB port.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Left

Along the NOOKcolor's left edge is the power button.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Right

Along the NOOKcolor's right edge is the volume up/down button.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Home Button and strap loop

Along the bottom edge of the NOOKcolor's front are the Home button (the NOOK symbol) and a curious loop. Perhaps we'll see a wrist strap accessory in the future.

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

NOOKcolor and NOOK - Side-by-side

The NOOKcolor is slightly taller than the original NOOK, but about the same width. As NOOKcolor's entire screen is touch-sensitive, gone is the small color LCD found at the bottom of the original NOOK.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

NOOKcolor and NOOK - Bottom

The speaker has been moved to the back of the NOOKcolor and the headphone jack has been moved to the top. Only the USB port remains along the bottom edge.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

NOOKcolor and NOOK - Top

The NOOKcolor has a less beveled, more rounded edge than the original NOOK.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

NOOKcolor and NOOK - Thickness

The two devices are very similar in thickness.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

microSD memory card slot

Under the light gray cover on the back of the NOOKcolor is the microSD card slot. The device can support up to 32GB of expanded memory.

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Torx T5 external back cover screws

Two Torx T5 screws are hidden under black stickers beneath the microSD slot cover. You'll need to remove both screws before popping off the back cover.

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Removing the back cover

With the two external screws removed, you can pop loose the NOOKcolor's back cover. Using a thin metal blade, the can release the small plastic tabs the hold the back cover in place.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Back cover

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Our first look inside

With the back cover removed, we get our first look inside. Like the iPad and Galaxy Tab, much of the space inside the NOOKcolor's case is taken up by the battery.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Back cover removed

Unfortunately, you can't remove the NOOKcolor's battery, or any other component for that matter, without removing the large metal frame that sits atop the display assembly.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Internal Torx T5 screws

The NOOKcolor's internal metal frame also serves as the device's external edge. It is held to the display assembly with 10 Torx T5 screws.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Rubber cushions hide connectors

After removing the metal frame's 10 Torx T5 screws, you'll need to remove three rubber cushions that cover connectors for the battery, power button, and volume up/down button. The cushions are held in place with adhesive. Using a thin metal blade, you should be able to remove the cushions without tearing them or damaging the connector underneath.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Battery connector

You'll need to disconnect the battery before removing the metal frame.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Volume up/down button connector

You'll also need to disconnect the volume up/down button.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Power button connector

Lastly, you'll need to disconnect the power button.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Separate the display assembly

With the internal screws removed and the cables disconnected, you can separate the display assembly from the metal frame. You could use a thin metal blade or a plastic case opening tool for this task, but I found that my fingernail worked well.

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Metal frame and display assembly

With the internal metal frame separated from the display assembly, we get our first good look at the NOOKcolor's printed circuit board (PCB). Before going any further with the display assembly, let's finish our examination of the metal frame and remove the battery.

Power button

Volume up/down button

Removing the battery

The NOOKcolor's battery is attached to the metal frame with two strips of double-sided tape.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Battery

The NOOKcolor has a 3.7V 400mAh 14.8Wh Li-ion battery. According to CNET's review of the NOOKcolor, you'll get about eight hours of reading on a full charge.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

PCB and display assembly

With the metal frame removed, we can turn our attention to the NOOKcolor's PCB and display assembly. According to the large sticker on the back of the screen, LG made the NOOKcolor's display.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Removing the PCB screw

A single Torx T5 screw holds the PCB to the display assembly. You'll need to remove the screw before removing the PCB.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Touchscreen connector

Before listing the PCB away from the display assembly you'll need to disconnect the touchscreen connector and display connector. This is the Cypress Semiconductor TMA340 touchscreen controller.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Touchscreen connector removed

The touchscreen connector is attached to the NOOKcolor's PCB with a gated connector and a bit of clear tape.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Display connector

The large display connector is attached to the NOOKcolor's PCB with a large strip of metallic tape and a pop-off connector.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Display connector removed

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Wi-Fi antenna cable

With the screw removed and the display and touchscreen controller disconnected, you can begin lifting the PCB away from the NOOKcolor's display assembly. But, don't pull too hard. The Wi-Fi antenna cable is still attached to the assembly. The antenna wire runs under two thin metal plates. You can either disconnect the antenna wire and pull it out from under the plates, or bend the plates up slightly and pull the wire out. I opted for the latter.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

PCB and display assembly

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Display assembly - Internal

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

LG Display LD070WS1 (SL)(02)

Display assembly - External

The NOOKcolor's display appears to be held to the front frame with very strong adhesive. As I didn't want to damage the display, I left the two components attached. We can however, take a closer look at the touchscreen controller and display connector.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Cypress Semiconductor TMA340 touchscreen controller

This chip is likely a Cypress Semiconductor TMA340 touchscreen controller. It has the following markings:

8CTM340-48LQI-01 CYP644895 PHI

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

LG Display connector

Removing the metal tape and translucent blue tape that cover the display connector, we can see the chips underneath and more LG markings.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

LG Display connector marking

The NOOKcolor's LG Display connector has the several markings, including the following:

BC0 09K CG6V

Various chips

Texas Instruments Audio codec

Although this chip's marking are partially obscured by the EMI support bracket, it is likely a Texas Instruments audio codec.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Foxconn ML1 S 94V-0

Given the markings on the NOOKcolor's PCB, Foxconn appears to have assembled the device.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

PCB with EMI shields removed - Bottom

Now, let's look at the chips on the bottom of the NOOKcolor's PCB.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Wi-Fi chip

Given its proximity to the Wi-Fi antenna cable, extra shielding, and the traces from the the antenna connector to it, this chip likely provides the NOOKcolor's Wi-fi support.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Hynix H8MB

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Unknow Texas Instruments chip

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Texas Instruments 08CE7YT LVDS83B

Texas Instruments 08CE7YT LVDS83B

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Completely disassembled

The NOOKcolor was surprisingly easy to disassemble. It uses standard Torx T5 screws and none of the key components are soldered to the PCB. Despite the ease with which the NOOKcolor came apart, it really isn't a user-serviceable device.

Box contents

Inside the NOOKcolor's box are the NOOKcolor itself, the power adapter, USB cable, and Quick Start Guide.

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

About Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Managing Editor of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop supp...

Disclosure

Bill Detwiler has nothing to disclose. He doesn't hold investments in the technology companies he covers.

Full Bio

Bill Detwiler is Managing Editor of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop support specialist in the social research and energy industries. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Louisville, where he has also lectured on computer crime and crime prevention.